Author: thenevsbycycle

Winter Wonderland

Embracing winter in paradise.

Picture perfect Wanaka
A visit to Cardrona distillery for whisky tastings to warm up
0 Degrees top of Crown Range
Loving Arrowtown
The snow has arrived in Queenstown
Stunning view from our apartment this morning
Half way up Tiki Trail making our way to top of the Skyline.
Where’s Wally
Bit slippery in places
Made it and well worth it

South Island Roadie

This would have been week 3 riding out bikes through Asia but during these crazy times it wasn’t to be.

Instead we have hit the road exploring our back yard and having a blast. Even have the folks joining us so some good quality time. Some new territory for us visiting spots we haven’t visited before, loving exploring our backyard.

Day 1 Hokitika
Franz Josef
Not sure how these things work, first kiwi winter in 13 years!!!!
Wet in Franz but truly beautiful
Road tripping from Franz in torrential rain
So many 1 Lane bridges
Was like a drive through a rain forest with all the waterfalls
Then the rain cleared and the sun shining over Lake Wanaka
Lake Hawea
Lake Wanaka
Motel view
Hanging with Ma and Pa

The Nevs surviving lockdown

Wow what a week for everyone around the world.

The Nomadic Nevs being forced to stay home. Our flight to Sydney scheduled today of course a no go as we hunker down with the rest of NZ in our bubble.

Instead this is what our day looked like today.  A great ride with Betty and Nancy.

Deserted roads
Taped off playgrounds
Boarded up public toilets
No traffic
Betty and Nancy watching us do our workout

Supermarket Queues
New coffee machine working over time and well worth the investment purchased the day prior to lockdown.
Date night at home!

Can’t go out for our weekly Thai so at home it has to be!
Cheers everyone stay home, stay safe. Enjoy time in your bubble.

Tomorrow Andy is back to work as an essential service and we roll through another day during these crazy times. Thinking of you all wherever you are.

Living the dream in Mapua

24 hour mini break to Mapua. So spoilt to have this lovely spot only a 34km ride away. The perfect getaway.

Betty and Nancy having a rest half way
Chilling out
Loving the peace and quiet
Rabbit Island
Nancy waiting patiently for the ferry to Mapua
All refreshed
Beer O’Clock at Jellyfish
Loving summer
Good morning Mapua
Time to get the ferry back to Rabbit Island

Back through Rabbit Island
Just like that back at Raglan in Tahunanui

Happy Anniversary to us

Well what better way to spend our 21st Wedding Anniversary than taking Betty and Nancy on an epic ride.

42km Coppermine saddle trail, rough going on a steel bike as so rocky, but blazed past some dude on his flash carbon full suspension bike! That gave Betty and Nancy a buzz!

Departing home first thing

After just under 2hours of climbing we made it to the 3rd house

Then it got cold, super cold!

Hiding in the fog and drizzle we made it to the saddle. But too cold to hang around

Nancy having a rest waiting on Betty. No speed records broken for Betty on the descent!

There she is!! Great day out.

Now what are the odds of having two lovely ladies come into work earlier in the week and their names were Betty & Nancy! They couldn’t believe our bikes were called B & N.

Happy 21st Anniversary. Was a dreary cold day like this in Christchurch 21years ago.

Where has that time gone! What a fun 21 years full of adventures. We are so lucky to have hit the jackpot! Bring on the next 21!

Ride done and dusted and almost time to crack open the bubbles!

Betty & Nancy hanging in paradise

Nelson – Mapua return

Starting to feel like summer is just around the corner, so let the summer fun begin and enjoy what’s on our doorstep.

66+km is a long way to pedal for hot chips but oh so worth it.

Betty hanging in Mapua

Feeling like summer not spring

A little puffed out and head wind on the home straight.

Home for a freshen up, back on B & N and time for a well deserved pint at Styx with friends. 23deg roll on summer

Turning 50 & Loving life

What an absolutely magical part of NZ. We have had the best multi-day celebration here at Millbrook……….

Queenstown. First time back in over 11 years and what a circus.

Taking in his last day at 49!

Fergs Pie!

Crafties in Queenstown

Oh my goodness Millbrook is AMAZING.

Birthday treats from the staff

No golf for us at Millbrook but hiring bikes for sure.

Smithies at Millbrook is awesome. Crafties by the fire with incredible scenery.

Birthday boy says let’s go riding. Hired some bikes and time to hit the trails.

Feeling alive!

First stop Gibbston

Love cycling rewards

Last stop Waitiri Cargo Brewery. Was so windy it blew the froth off my beer.

Cheers to the best day celebrating 50 awesome years.

Day 2 – Lake Hayes Loop

Cool and wind blown!

Finishing the ride back in the picturesque Arrowtown.

What an amazing few days celebrating down here. Thanks for turning on the weather and giving us the best memories.

Happy Days continue

Happy days continue here in Hoi An. We have had a bit of rain the past few days, at times monsoonal but nothing like exploring in the rain. Ponchos and umbrellas just seem to appear as soon as the rain arrrives. Road floods in record time and you are biking through a foot of water.

All class

Change of hotels for the last 10 days and scored an upgrade for my birthday.

4 star hotel but not 4 star bikes. 70 room hotel…….just us and heaps of Koreans. Entertainment value plus!

Living in style for the remainder of our time in Hoi An

Huge pool for the Koreans of all ages to put their life jackets and floaties on

More construction happening and leveling the concrete by hand on the roof, in their jandals with no harness. An OSH inspectors dream.

Many storms passing through which has dropped the temps from high 30s to low 30s.

As always birthday celebrations are a blast in Hoi An.

Yep that is 50% off crafties

Birthday beer oclock in Hoi An

Fun times

Have had a busy holiday schedule catching up with friends the past few days.

More birthday cake with our friends we met 4 years ago.

Lunch with our Phuc Thao family. The best Com Ga, (chicken rice)

Chicken feet and all

A lock malfunction

5 staff, a hammer and chisel we are in and a new lock installed 5 minutes later. Boom just like that!

Oh Happy Days in Hoi An

Daily Hoi An snapshot

As always having no problem filling in our days in Hoi An. A snapshot of our daily routine looks something like this.

Brekkie Time

Brekkie by the pool. We are currently the only guests at the hotel so getting the extra royal treatment.

Biking through the paddy fields to the gym

Gym time

Daily session at superfit gym, Andy being a clown. Combination of Vietnamese and foreigners. Lynnie the strongest Vietnamese man at the gym!

Coffee time after the gym

Lunch time

We had lunch at this little girls Grandmas stall. She had incredible English.

Cat wanted part of the action. Just hope its brother wasn’t in the soup

She was obsessed with Andy’s “furry” arms

Bike exploring time

Swim time

Beer o’clock time

Looking a little frazzled from the heat and the traffic after our ride into the old town

Always good to find a craft beer and a vino at the Hill station

People watching day and night

BUT WAIT…….

After so many trips to Asia we thought we had seen it all……..

Yep that is a dog wearing a nappy in the coffee shop.

Got to love it!!!! Cotinuing to have an awesome time hanging in Hoi An.

They Come They Go

One year on since our last visit and the changes of Hoi An continue as everyone wants a piece of this progressing tourist hotspot. Businesses come and go, construction everywhere, new coffee shops and spas continue to pop up.

Mr Hoang one of our favourite local eats over the past 4 years all finished up.

Mrs Hoang and her mother now selling clothes and apparently in one weeks time Mr Hoang will be selling Pho (noodle soup out the front of this tiny house that 3 generations share)

One of our frequented local Pho shops now a construction site

Pho Rieu another popular place of ours over the years ripping down his house but still serving great food

Construction workers taking time out from the midday 40deg heat. Had themselves a couple of Larue beers and then napped on their makeshift cardboard bed which they bring to work everyday

Many of the older generation still running businesses on bikes

While the younger generation opting for battery bikes.

With all this development this has been the most positive thing we have seen. Drink refill stations. Absolutely love it.

We have only seen 2 so far but better than none.

We are having an awesome time biking around Hoi An, checking out the changes and catching up with friends.

Our favourite coffee shop Borina still alive and kicking.

Bob and Barry parked up with the other coffee punters

Post work out coffee.

Street food for lunch. Mrs Hoangs sister and hubby

Hustle and bustle at 5pm closing of the markets

We have seen this lady every year for the past 4 years selling her flowers daily at the markets.

Meanwhile we people watch across the street watching the comings and goings, having a 5pm cold beer, celebrating another awesome day in Hoi An and how lucky we are to be back here again.

Hoi An is almost unrecognizable from our first visit here in 2006, and the speed of change is incredible, however it is still a very special town, that we absolutely love.